


Solid Ground

by AuraSweet13



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8335081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: Someone finds Samar in her office at the end of 4x04





	

It was late. Donald Ressler had taken to staying late at the Post Office, mainly because he wanted to help Liz find her daughter. He knew Cooper was around, too, only because he could see the light from his office on the second level.

What he wasn't expecting, was to see a light on in Samar's office. Though his mind was telling him to leave it alone, to head out now, the conversation they'd had earlier replayed in his mind; the sadness he'd seen on her face _-I wish there was. I really do_ -propelled him towards her office instead of away from it. He stopped in the door at the sight of Samar sitting in her chair, like she had been frozen there, a look on her face that was upset enough to alarm him. She was staring straight ahead, though he suspected she wasn't really staring at anything in particular.

 _What the hell happened?_ He thought. "Navabi?"

She shook her head and met his eyes, though hers were wide, not scared, but sad. "Oh, hi, Ressler." She said, and he noticed that her voice was small.

"What are you still doing here?" He looked back at her, wondering if he should've pressed her for more information earlier today. Then again, with Samar, he knew that pressing her for information didn't usually work.

"I guess I just didn't see a point in leaving." The flat tone to her voice was a further cause for alarm. "it's not as if I have anything waiting for me back at my apartment."

In that moment, he made a decision. "Okay, come on." He told her. "Let's go."

Her brows furrowed as she looked at him. "What?"

"I think we have both been here long enough." He continued, though he wasn't entirely sure why. "Come on, let's go for a drive."

"I brought my car." Samar told him. Her mind couldn't help going back to the last time they had been in close quarters like this, before she pushed those thoughts away. She couldn't go down that road now, she just couldn't. Not when her and Ressler seemed to _finally_ be in a good place; where he didn't look at her like she was a traitor, like he couldn't trust her, like she was beneath him. His words rang in her head. _If there's anything I can do to get you to reconsider, you let me know. You're a good partner._

How come Ressler had made the effort to try and convince her to stay, when Aram hadn't? Ressler, who should be the one who wanted her gone the most, and Aram, who told her ages ago that she had him as a friend, even when she said she didn't deserve a friend like him? Her eyes stung, much to her mortification, and she tried to blink them away before Ressler noticed.

But he had. And he was reminded of the Hasaan case. "Take it with you. Samar, look, I know we've had our differences, but please, trust me just this once."

Samar nodded, shutting her laptop. Then she got up, gathering her bag and jacket and keys. She flicked off the lamp and followed him out of the office.

Ressler had led her to the building where she knew his apartment was. Again, she was reminded of the last time she was here, and again she pushed it away as she got out of her car, locking the door behind her. She followed him to the front door, waiting for him to unlock the door and step inside.

To her surprise, though, he didn't take her to his apartment.

The pair of them walked silently up flight after flight of stairs, until they got to a door that he used his key on once more. It opened onto a rooftop that had a decent vantage point of D.C. "Wow." She murmured, looking over at him.

The moonlight allowed her to see the faint smile on his lips. It made him look younger, more innocent, somehow. But, then again, wasn't 'innocent' relative, especially in their line of work? "Yeah. I come up here whenever I need to think, or clear my head. I'm usually by myself, though."

She couldn't stop the question that was on the tip of her tongue. "Then why bring me up here?"

He stepped towards her, clearing the distance between them until there was only a small amount left between them. "Because I thought maybe it could help you clear yours, too." The silence wasn't as uncomfortable as he had been expecting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Samar looked confused but curious, too.

"Why you want to transfer. I mean, I know you told me earlier today, but given that we were working, we didn't really get the chance to talk about it, in depth."

"Why do you care?" Samar asked, wincing at how abrasive the question had come off as. "I mean, you said so yourself, we've had our problems. I thought you'd _want_ me gone."

"You make it seem like I hate you, Samar." Ressler said, blinking, and she felt shocked.

"Don't you?" Samar countered. And when he shook his head, she continued speaking. "Well, how was I supposed to _know_ that when you've never indicated otherwise?" She wrapped her arms around herself in an almost hug-if he questioned her about it, not that she thought she really owed him an explanation, she'd blame it on the chill. He opened his mouth, only to shut it a moment later. "I rest my case." Samar said, her tone soft. Final.

"I don't hate you." He repeated, though there was more conviction to the words this time around. "I was angry at you for going behind my back. I'm over it now, though. And I meant what I said to you in the Post Office today. I do understand where you're coming from on that front. And I do think you're a good partner."

Samar wanted to ask him if he would be telling her any of this if he didn't know she had requested a transfer. But she didn't want to open that can of worms. "Thank you. I appreciate you saying that." She told him. And she found that she meant it. "I should probably get back. We have to work tomorrow, after all."

He nodded, and then, to her surprise, he placed his hand on her arm. "Samar, if you need to, or if you just want to, talk, let me know, okay?"

She nodded. "I will." She told him, managing a tentative but nonetheless genuine smile. The pair of them headed back down to the parking lot, and the animosity that was usually between them wasn't present this time around.

Samar didn't know what had changed in him, but she was grateful all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to post this before the episode tonight.


End file.
